Northeast and Southeast Minneapolis - General Topics

[Silk]

Cracks me up that most of those that signed onto this were businesses that could directly benefit from the additional residents in the area.

"Don't Uptown Northeast" flyers are going up around the neighborhood urging people to oppose the project, contact Z&P committee members and attend the public hearing at 9:30 this Thursday. Would be great if we could get some reasonable pro-development folks to advocate for the project. The developers added more parking, lowered the height and added a retail space on Marshall in response to neighborhood group concerns but it apparently wasn't enough for them.

[PhilmerPhil]

"Don't Coon Rapids Northeast"

[amiller92]

I'm just going to repeat myself: a tall thing next to a shorter thing does nothing to diminish the shorter thing.

[MNdible]

Except it clearly does. It just doesn't mean that we shouldn't build the tall thing.

[mattaudio]

A tall thing next to a shorter thing enhances the shorter thing.

[LakeCharles]

A short thing next to a tall thing diminishes the tall thing. Tear down Dusty's!

[mplsjaromir]

I am I the only one who holds no sympathy for the slur sandwich place?

[amiller92]

At first I thought you meant the one among the new foods at the Fair, but yes, the name of the sandwich at Dusty's is rather a slur. I don't hold that against the building, though.

[EOst]

I'm just going to repeat myself: a tall thing next to a shorter thing does nothing to diminish the shorter thing.

Does it matter whether or not it does if enough people believe it?

[mplsjaromir]

At first I thought you meant the one among the new foods at the Fair, but yes, the name of the sandwich at Dusty's is rather a slur. I don't hold that against the building, though.

Those new fair food items are hurtful stereotypes more than slurs.

[amiller92]

Does it matter whether or not it does if enough people believe it?

Good question, I guess.

Out my window I can see the Ameriprise tower. Wikipedia tells me it's 31 stories. It's physically attached to the Minneapolis Club, which I assume everyone thinks is historic. Does anyone actually think that Minneapolis Club seems diminished in some way (leaving aside it's parking ramp, which definitely does diminish it)?

A little farther away, Skyscape is 27 floor and across the street from some of the few browstones we still have and the Balmoral apartments and shares is block with the Rappahannok. Does anyone actually think those things are diminished?

If anything, the contrast makes those older/historic buildings stand out as something important and different.

It would be one thing if the argument was the Dusty's is surrounded by a context of short stuff (obviously I have issues with that argument too) but here it's not. The argument is literally that the new thing is taller. So what?

[fehler]

So. Many. Puns.

[BoredAgain]

I am I the only one who holds no sympathy for the slur sandwich place?

I didn't even know that was a slur until I read this comment and then looked it up. At what point does a racial slur lose it's impact because people don't understand it anymore?

Also, tearing down a building because the owner's have terrible taste in menu naming seems like overkill.

[talindsay]

Coming to Minneapolis from St Louis, I was shocked that a building would have that word painted in the side of it intentionally - in St Louis it's definitely an ethnic slur, and the Italian Americans take offense to it. Up here people don't know or don't care, I guess, but it shocked me.

[talindsay]

Off topic true story - in the mid 1980s my (largely Italian and Irish Catholic) scout troop got us summer camp shirts that were billed as "day glow green" but of course a bunch of middle schoolers immediately changed that. The Irish kids thought it was hilarious. The parents got really upset though.

[mplsjaromir]

I dunno. A friend and I were walking near there a few years ago and couple of older guys asked if we ate the slur sandwiches. I wasn't sure at first what they meant, but then they pointed at the wall. I never knew slurs against Italians until I went to college out of state.

[EOst]

Definitely knew it as a slur growing up out west. Was also very surprised moving here to see it.

I understand the history behind the name--things probably were different "back in the day"--but the "diego" alternative is so easy and so much less offensive.

[NickP]

I never knew that slur. Wow. I can see why people would want it changed.

[amiller92]

I am I the only one who holds no sympathy for the slur sandwich place?

I didn't even know that was a slur until I read this comment and then looked it up. At what point does a racial slur lose it's impact because people don't understand it anymore?

They've been calling it that for a very long time I think. Long enough that they knew it was a slur when they did it but nobody cared.

Also, tearing down a building because the owner's have terrible taste in menu naming seems like overkill.

I don't think anyone is talking about tearing it down.

[LakeCharles]

To be fair, I did say to tear it down because it will be diminishing this new project.

But I was kidding.